Illuminating projectiles



April 1, 1958 P. FR'ERI ILLUMINATING PROJECTILES 2 SheetS- -Sheet 1 Filed April 28, 1954 INVENTOR ATTORNEY I P. FRERI ILLUMINATING PROJECTILES 2, Sheets -Sheet 2 Filed April 28. 1954 m T N E V m ATTORNEY United States ILLUMINATING rnorucrnas Prospero Freri, Rome, Italy, assignor to Aerostatica ,The present invention relates to an improvement in or relating to a unit comprising a flare and a parachute, for

illuminating projectiles.

,Qne purpose of this improvement is that of providing aunit of the aforedescribedtype which is capable of being easily and rapidly introduced and mounted into the projectile by the use of two appropriate jaws.

, Another purpose is that of providing a unit which is capable of being easily stored, and affords good storage security for. the parachute which is easily transported with a minimum encumbrance.

, Still another purpose of the present invention is that of allowing the easy and immediate connection of the parachute with-the metallic cup containing the flare when theassembly is inserted into the projectile, if said two elements are separately stored.

Another purpose of this improvement is that of providing means for the connection of the parachute tothe cup, containing the flare, which should allow rotation by inertia of the cup or illuminant container due to the rotation of the projectile, without causing the rotation of the groupof ropes connecting said cup'to the paraa chute, when the unit is expelledfrom the projectile.

,The improv ement of the present invention is carriedout by folding the parachute, made of nylon or the like,

with the steel; ropes orshrjoudsfor suspending the cup containing the flare within a cylindrical container, made of cardboard or'the like, and eventuallywaterproofed, which can be opened along one generating line and provided, along the opposite generating line with a string Which can be pulled out and which, as described here below, allows :thecylindrical container to open.

The steelropes which are also contained within the container -conyerge to an eye-bolt located within the container, allowing the parachute to be connected with the cup containing the flare, to allow the free rotation of the cup independently from the parachute, and prevent the ropes from becoming twisted.

One preferred embodiment of the improvement according to this invention is shown in the attached drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view partially in axial crosssection of the projectile wherein the unit of the flare and the parachute, according to this invention, has been'inserted;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken alongthe line H 11.

of Fig. l; i

.Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofthe container according to the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a top view of the container according to the present invention after the cover has been removed and before the parachute has been inserted inside the container; Fig. 5 is a cross-section view on an enlarged scale V taken along the line V-V of Fig. 1; V i

Fig. 6 is a perspectiveyiew of the container according 3 Fig. 7 is a top view of a detail, in an enlarged scale atent U 2 of the arrangement of the string to be pulled out for the opening of the container.

With reference to the drawings, the cylindrical container according to the present invention, comprises two hollow half-cylinders 1 and 2 made of strong cardboard or the like, arranged in contact at their edges along two generating lines diametrically opposed to 'each other. To keep the container assembled, a lining 4 of strong paper or like material is provided, which surrounds the outer surface of the container and is stuck thereto.

Along one of the two generating lines, for instance A (Fig. 6) before the application of the lining 4, a strip 29 made of paper, fabric, plastic material or the like is adhered, allowing the hinge-like opening of the two halfcylinders along said generating line.

Along the diametrically opposite contact generating line (Fig. 7) under the lining 4, there is arranged a string 3 which is kept steady in this position by said lining 4, reinforced by a strip 4, also made of paper or the like, stuck along the generating line. The string extends be yond the upper end of the cylindrical container with a lateral portion 3' which is knotted at 5 to the portion 3 passing under the lining 4.

When the, string is pulled out, the paper lining 4 is severed, so that the two half-cylinders can open along the generating line A.

In the upper inner portion of the two half-cylinders, there are stuck two' abutments '6 made of cardboard or the like, which serve to keep at the correct place the spirals of the group of the metallic ropes for the parachute. Said abutments are so arranged as not to prevent the opening of the cylindrical container.

The container is closed, in its lower portion, by a disc 25 madeof cardboard or the like, which is provided with a plurality of holes 26 for venting the air when the parachute is inserted, said disc resting freely on an inwardly bent flange of the lower edge of the two half-cylinders.

The cylindrical container arranged in this manner, after the parachute has been inserted therein, is closed by a cardboard cover7, acting as a protection during storage and transportation. V

The parachute is for example made of high resistance nylon, with an apical hole (not shown) hemmed and reinforced by crosswise arranged ropes 27 for suspension, which'ropes for a certain length from the edge of the parachute are made of nylon and therefrom are made of steel so as'to be able to resist, for the necessary period of time, the temperature produced by the ignition of the flare.

,Said steel ropes"(Figs. l and 2) are connected two by two, passing through corresponding pairs of symmetrical holes 8 placed at the ends of grooves 9 arranged along two diameters, at right angles, of a metallicdisc 10 provided witha circular recess as shown to receive a thrust bearing 15, which disc can idly revolve about a pivot having a threaded stein and fastened to the center of the bottom 12 of the cup 13 containing the flare 14. The disc 10 bears, by means of the thrust bearing 15, on the flange of the threaded nut 16 which can be screwed on the pivot 11, in such a direction that the rotation of the flare containing cup, due to the rotation of the projectile, tends to keep the flanged nut tightened.

Obviously, by such an arrangement, the cup containing the flare rotates independently of the parachute, thus avoiding the danger of the ropes being twisted.

With particular reference to Figs. 1 and 5 the parachute, suitably folded, is introduced into the cylindrical container and hand pressed, and the assembly of the steel ropes is spirally arranged adjacent the inner wall of the container. This arrangement is rendered possible by the abutments 6 which hold the loops of the ropes steady dur- Patented Apr. 1, 1958 aeaasso ing the winding thereof and keeping the spiral in its correct position when the operation is ended.

Over the last loop of the assembly of metallic ropes, there is arranged and pressed 9. disc 10, which connects the parachute ropes with the cup containing the flare. The cover 7 protects the parachute and the elements thereof.

The cylindrical container, as hereinbefore described and arranged can be rapidly and easily introduced into the shell 28 as follows:

After the cover '7 has been removed, the pivot 11, fastened to the bottom of the cup 13, is screwed into the nut 16, so that the cup containing the flare rests on the container. Then the container is arranged between two metallic jaws 17 slightly longer than the container and formed of two half-cylinders made of steel, said jaws being arranged so as to allow the string 3 to be pulled out.

The container is introduced into the shell 28 after the string 3 has been pulled out tearing the strips. The container being thus prepared for opening when the parachute is to be released. The shell is closed by a bottom 18 having a flange 19 whereon the two metallic jaws 17 rest.

The bottom 18 is mounted on the shell body by means of bolts 20, for instance made ofcopper, passing through the wall of the shell. The bolts being made of a soft material form a minor resistance section for the shell allowing the flare to be easily expelled. Thus the unit formed by the container and by the cup for the flare is mounted inside the shell, with the upper end of the cup 13 bearing on the diaphragm 21 provided with holes 22 being part of the shell. Over the diaphragm 21 there is contained a bursting charge 23 the ignition of which is controlled by the time fuse 24 and which serves for expelling the unit formed by the flare mixture and by the parachute from the shell through the bottom 18, while simultaneously, through the holes 22 the flare 14 is ignited.

The cylindrical container according to the present invention can be easily and rapidly introduced into the shell avoiding thus the inconveniences and the difficulties which occur when the parachute and the steel ropes are prepared and introduced into the illuminating projectile, according to the presently known systems.

I claim:

1. In an illuminating projectile, in combination, a projectile body formed with a chamber and a bottom for closing said chamber, a first cylindrical parachute container disposed in said chamber, a parachute housed in said cylindrical container, an illuminant container, said parachute having a plurality of flexible shrouds, means connected to said shrouds for rendering independent rotation of said illuminant container relative to said parachute and its container, means cooperating with said last mentioned means separably connecting said illuminant container to said parachute while housed in its container, said parachute container being adapted to be stored separately from both said shell and said illuminant container and comprising two semi-cylindrical elements having longitudinal edges in abutting relationship so as to form a cylinder, hinge means comprising a strip of flexible mate rial disposed over two opposed abutting edges of said elements, tearable material disposed overlying the abutting longitudinal edges opposite to said hinge means so as to hold said elements in edge abutting relationship and said parachute container closed, means for tearing said tearable material prior to introducing said parachute container into said body, said tearing means being disposed longitudinally underlying said tearable material and arranged so as to tear said material longitudinally along a line corresponding to a plane passing between the abutting edges underlying said tearable material, said cylindrical parachute container having a bottom being provided with holes arranged for venting the air in the container when said parachute is being housed therein, each of said elements being provided with an abutment disposed on the inner surface of the container and positioned in a selected spaced relationship from the upper edge of said container and adapted for retaining in positioned the parachute shrouds while spirally arranged in said container when said parachute is housed therein, a removable cover for said container for closing said cylindrical parachute container when the parachute is stored separately from the projectile, an expelling charge disposed for expelling the parachute and illuminant containcrs out the bottom, time-delay means for igniting said expelling charge at a selected time after the projectil'e'has been fired.

2. An illuminating projectile according to claim 1, further comprising two other semi-cylindrical elements cooperting to form a second cylindrical tubular member disposed around said cylindrical parachute container and adapted to receive said parachute container prior to said tearable material being torn and to hold the elements which comprise said parachute container in fixed relationship after said tearable material has been torn.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,305,187 Bergman May 27, 1919 1,310,132 Passet July 15, 1919 1,712,383 Driggs, In, et a1. May 7, 1929 1,978,641 Martin Oct. 30, 1934 2,604,849 Frieder et al July 29, 1952 

